1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device connector, a semiconductor device carrier, a semiconductor device socket using the same and a probe card.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the prior tart, semiconductor devices such as KGD (known good die) have been tested prior to being mounted to an electronic appliance or others. As a result, the semiconductor devices having any faults have been omitted.
In such a test, the semiconductor devices are placed on a semiconductor device carrier that is then accommodated in a socket having a carrier housing portion fixed to a substrate such as a test board. Thereafter, the semiconductor devices are tested via the semiconductor device carrier and the socket.
In this regard, when tested, it is necessary to bring the semiconductor device to be tested into contact with bump contacts of an electrode sheet having provided on the semiconductor carrier, resulting in the electric contact between the both.
A contact pressure necessary for the contact between the electrode section of the semiconductor device and the bump contacts is properly determined with reference to a pressing force due to a pressing member held on the semiconductor device carrier, a pressing force due to an elastic member disposed on the bottom of the electrode sheet, and a reactive force against the pressing force due to the elastic member disposed on the bottom of the electrode sheet (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-047186).
In the prior art, however, since the contact pressure necessary for the contact of the electrode section in the semiconductor device with the bump contacts is properly determined with reference to the pressing force due to pressing member held by the semiconductor device carrier and the reactive force due to the elastic sheet disposed on the bottom of the electrode sheet when the semiconductor device carrier, the bump contacts of the electrode sheet in the semiconductor device socket and the electrode section of the semiconductor device are brought into contact with each other, there may be a risk of occurring such problems as illustrated in FIGS. 34 to 40.
A first example of the prior art device will be first described below with reference to FIGS. 34 to 40.
A prior art electrode sheet 101 includes bumps 103A and 103B to be in contact with an electrode section (not shown) of the semiconductor device 107, an insulating substrate 102, and a front surface wiring 104 and a rear surface wiring 105 as a conductor routing, arranged on front and rear surfaces, respectively, of the insulation substrate 102. In the Figures, two of the bumps 103A and 103B, respectively, are shown in an exaggerated manner as a representative for convenience of the explanation.
The surface wiring 104 has bump placement sections 104A on which are disposed the bump contacts 103A and 103B.
The rear surface wiring 105 is formed to have the same shape as that of the front surface wiring 104, and has a rear surface bump placement section wiring 105A having the same shape as the bump placement sections 104A at a position corresponding thereto.
On the bottom of the rear surface wiring 105, an elastic sheet 106 is disposed for generating a reactive force necessary for the contact against the pressing force.
To bring the electrode section of the semiconductor device 107 into contact with the bump contacts 103A, 103B, a tip ends of the bump contacts 103A and 103B are pressed by the electrode section of the semiconductor device 107 as shown in FIG. 38, when the semiconductor device 107 is pressed onto the electrode sheet 101 by a pressing member (not shown) of the carrier, whereby a reactive force against the pressing force is generated by the elastic sheet 106 to bring the both into contact with each other at a suitable pressure.
However, as shown in FIGS. 37 and 38, the elastic sheet 106 is liable to deflect due to the pressing force, whereby the elastic force (reactive force) of the elastic sheet 106 applied to the bump contacts 103A and 103B becomes irregular. Thus, the bump contact 103A is brought into contact with an extreme portion of the electrode section in the semiconductor device 107 in a larger inclined state than the bump contact 103B, whereby a tip end of the bump contact 103A collapses more than that of the bump contact 103B (e.g. a diameter of the collapsed tip end of the bump contact 103A is not less than 40 μm). The reactive force of the elastic sheet 106 corresponding to the size of the collapsed tip end of the bump contact 103A is also larger than other parts (including a portion of site adjacent to the bump contact 103B about the central axis of the tip end of the bump contact 103A)
In a second example shown in FIGS. 39 and 40 wherein the number of the bump contacts is larger than that in the first example, since the elastic sheet 206 is deflected by the pressing force as illustrated, the reactive force applied to the bump contacts 203A, 203B, 203C, 203D and 203E becomes irregular, whereby the bump contact 203A is brought into contact with the extreme portion of the electrode section in the semiconductor device 207 in a more inclined state than that of the bump contacts 203D and 203E closer to a center line.
As shown in FIG. 40, areas of the collapsed tip ends of the bump contacts 203A, 203B, 203C, 203D and 203E become larger as the bump contacts are closer to the extremity of the electrode section farthest from the center line.
That is, the bump contact in contact with the extremity of the electrode section is largely damaged when it is brought into contact with the electrode section of the semiconductor device 207, whereby the collapse of the tip end of the bump contact 203A is larger than that of the bump contact 203B.
In such a manner, the degree of wear of the tip end of the bump contact is larger as it is closer to the bump contact to be in contact with the extremity of the electrode section of the semiconductor device.
For example, when the tests are repeated a plurality of times, there may be a risk in that the electric connection of the bump contact touching with the extremity of the electrode section in the semiconductor device becomes unsafety.
Also, since the degree of wear of the bump contact closer to the outer side (toward the extremity of the electrode section) is different from that of the bump contact closer to the inner side (toward the center line), it is necessary to exchange the electrode sheet for the purpose of obtaining the reliable electric connection even if the degree of wear of the bump contact closer to the inner side is small, whereby the utilization factor of the electrode sheet in the test is worsened.